During a recent conversation between ISSA media director Jeff Cross and ISSA president Laurie Sewell, the discussion took an unexpected turn when she shared her views on work/life balance.
Sewell pointed out that the term “balance” misleads leaders into chasing a perfect 50/50 split that doesn’t exist. “I bristle at the word balance,” she said. “It’s more of a flow, more of an alignment.”
Some days, work demands more attention, while on other days, life takes precedence. Sewell’s view is to stay grounded in your values and intentional about what requires your focus. “Give yourself the grace and the expectation that it’s not going to be equal,” she said.
Delegation that grows people
Early on, Sewell reframed the concept of boundaries from one of rejection to a means of protecting focus and energy. “My energy sets the tone for the rest of the organisation,” she said.
Just as pivotal as her warm, straightforward approach is sleep. “It is the best gift I give to myself and to others,” she explained, as sleep fuels presence, patience and judgement.
Sewell admitted that she once struggled with delegating. Her breakthrough came when she began treating delegation as a strategy. Instead of offloading tedious tasks, she emphasised the importance of handing off meaningful work and coaching it to build a shared capability. This approach builds organisational muscle and creates room for leaders to focus on their highest-value responsibilities.
Sewell also relies on trusted people to identify issues. “Allow others to tell you when they’re recognising it … and then don’t get upset with them when they do,” she said.
While leaders don’t need a perfect balance in their work and life, they do need alignment. Sewell recommends shifting your perspective from “balance” to “flow.”
Additionally, protect your energy by setting boundaries, getting adequate sleep, delegating tasks to develop your team, inviting feedback on your blind spots, and establishing clear rules that respect your off-hours. This approach fosters work-life flow—practical, humane, and tailored to meet the demands of our industry.
A version of this article first appeared in Cleanfax. You can watch the episode at cleanfax.com/flow.
